TOUR NATIONAL CATHEDRAL

Q: Who was the only US president to be buried in the National Cathedral? (Answer at the end.)

Given that my patient improved today, I toured the National Cathedral to see sculptures by Frederick Hart.  It rained a bit.  Some called him the American Rodin. However, I found Hart's work to have a completely different attitude than Rodin's. Hart's El Nihilo which is about the creation of life has some familiar visual themes to Rodin's Gates of Hell.  El Nihilo showed figures being created out of nothingness in chaos, but the figures were tranquil.  By contrast, The Gates showed figures struggling to escape the turmoil of Hell and their pain.  Hart's work was optimistic while Rodin's work was emotionally intense. A little like comparing "When Harry Met Sally" to the French film "Camille Claudel".

(Hint 1: He was president of Princeton University before entering politics.)

The National Cathedral was as impressive as some I had seen in Europe. I supposed that was the point of building it. The stained glass windows in the cathedral highlighted national themes such as the arrival of pilgrims and sending men to the moon. It was a spectacular building; however, I had to wonder a little about the separation of church and state.

(Hint 2: He proposed the League of Nations.)

My taxi driver on the way back to the hotel was Fabio Rojas originally from Spain. Even though he had been in the US for 35 years, he spoke with a thick Spanish accent. While Fabio took me on a tour of Embassy Row, I learned that: he drove Spanish-speaking ambassadors for the Secret Service; he thought the motorcade police on motorbikes were overly rude when they kicked cars that got too close; he wished he could drink beer while driving; he pined for the late 1960's; his favorite embassy building was Turkey; his favorite bridge was the Dumbarton flanked by buffalo statues; he did not like modern architecture; he does not use his horn much; and, he was quite a good tour guide. In DC, the taxis do not use meters. They charged a flat rate to go from one section to another. Even with the extra tour, Fabio charged me the same flat rate as the other drivers did.

IN SEARCH OF SOUP

For dinner, I went on a quest for vegetable soup for Bruce.  The hotel offered just Cambell's chicken noodle and a creamy soup which he had had for lunch.  I walked down to Georgetown in search of an Italian restaurant which was bound to have minestrone soup for Bruce and something good for me too.

The funny homeless man was again at the bridge and had another original line for the day.  I noticed that he was drinking a cup of hot coffee.  I got some cash, found the soup and got myself a pizza.  On my way back, I felt badly for all the people huddled in doorways on such a cold day.  I gave my hot pizza to a man who was very grateful. As I handed him the pizza, he looked much healthier than most homeless I've seen.  Was he really homeless or a member of homeland security undercover?  Either way, it was a good cause.  As I approached the bridge, I got out some cash for the man who made me laugh.  I gave him the cash and told him that I do not usually give cash out (I prefer to give food or to donate to Habitat for Humanity and local groups), but he made me laugh.

Q: Who was the only US president to be buried in the National Cathedral?
A: Woodrow Wilson. He was the only president to request to be buried there. The other dead presidents were buried in their home states, by request.